Gottfried on the barricades

Well maybe not the barricades, but veteran NYC Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, according to this release, paid a visit to the Occupy Wall Street protestors early this morning to support them in their successful bid not to be booted from Zuccotti Park.

Here are his thoughts on the protest:

Part of my job is defending free speech and advancing social justice. My work day began at 6 AM at Zuccotti Park, along with thousands of others, to protest the City’s decision to oust the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

The issue is not whether the plaza should be kept clean – that’s easy to work out. The problem was that just a day or so after Mayor Bloomberg sensibly said the protesters could stay as long as they obey the law, he announced that obeying the law meant they could not stay. Specifically, his administration said the law bars people lying down or having sleeping bags or tents.

Thursday afternoon, the news of what the administration was planning spread like wildfire. It quickly became clear that thousands of people – from unions, tenant groups, all kinds of advocacy groups, and just people who heard about it – would be at the plaza before dawn this morning to defend Occupy Wall Street from the ouster that was due to begin this morning.

Fortunately, soon after 6 AM the Mayor’s office announced that the City and Brookfield Properties (owners of the Zuccotti plaza) had backed off, at least for now. There had been intense negotiations going on late into the night.

I congratulate the Mayor for the fact that, at least for now, cool heads and good judgment are prevailing. I hope that continues to be the case.

What’s this all about? I think we have a fundamental choice: We can keep undermining the American dream by cutting education for our children, undermining health care, and increasing unemployment by laying off workers who do all sorts of public service work. Or we can ask the top 1% wealthiest among us to pay a slightly larger slice of their extraordinary wealth to benefit the whole community.

I agree with billionaire Warren Buffett: “Our leaders have asked for ‘shared sacrifice.’ But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched. I know well many of the mega-rich and, by and large, they are very decent people. They love America and appreciate the opportunity this country has given them. Many have joined the Giving Pledge, promising to give most of their wealth to philanthropy. Most wouldn’t mind being told to pay more in taxes as well, particularly when so many of their fellow citizens are truly suffering.”

I think John F. Kennedy had it right: “Of those to whom much is given, much is required.” And his brother Robert said, “The future is not a gift; it is an achievement.” That’s why I started my work day at 6 AM at Zuccotti Park.